Temperature: 23-26 °C, hot days, chilly nights Highlights: Auckland is surprisingly similar to Sydney. We got to know our group much better during the Base Backpackers foam party. A 4-hour drive via a honey plantation, the famous Kauri Tree and the Whangarei waterfalls we finally arrived at Paihia, the heart of the Bay of Islands (consists of approx 144.23 islands). This part of NZ reminded me very much of Brasil - beautiful little islands, boats and chilled...

Temperature: 25-30 °C, wind & smelly Highlights: Reaching Wellington by Ferry across the Cook Strait (channel separating the North from the South Island) we had a quick walk through the museum (NZs biggest museum) and rushed up Mount Victoria for the view. Dinner was lamb - again! Rotorua is New Zealands smelliest city - but only due to the sulphuric smell coming from this amazing thermal area. Although there are only around 20,000 Maori left in NZ (you are ...

Temperature: 25-30 °C, Hot, and windy. Highlights: Hokitika resembled some small town in the wild west, an old jade mining town, which was solely developed into a tourist milking station. No doubt the jade is nice, however the experience somewhat reminiscent of a souvenir shop in Disneyland. Moving on to Nelson, which was where we both jumped out of a plane at 13,000ft to experience freefall for a good 50 seconds. Quite unbelievable. After the flying sensati...

Temperature: 5-25 °C, bizarrely chilly for a rainforest. Fox Glacier, one of only 3 glaciers globally to cut through a rainforest. The Ice gets as low as 250 metres above sea level to over 3700 metres. We hiked through the jungle and on to the glacier, slipping through crevasses. After eating a good couple of lambs each we went on a midnight trek to look for glow worms. Next morning we trekked through another rainforest to see the reflections from "another p...

Temperature: 15-25 °C, very windy. Highlights : Queenstown, Adrenalin Capital of the World home to 3 bungees, Lord of the Rings trails either by horse or 4 wheel drive, shotover jet which blasts through the canyon, skydiving and the deadly canyon swing. We went river boarding, floating down the glacial melt on boogie boards. Steve decided to embrace his fear, dropping 60 metres then swinging out over a river on the Canyon Swing. With scenery to die for we (y...